Gardening 101: Growing Zones, Sunlight, and Layout

Gardening 101: Growing Zones, Sunlight, and Layout

Here in the Great Lakes region, it’s no secret that we have very long, cold, and dark winters. But with the recent passing of the Winter solstice, our daylight has thankfully been increasing little-by-little with each passing day. As we look forward to the upcoming spring/summer (and warmer days) ahead, I like to start planning my garden for the year. I find that this helps me look forward to the upcoming growing season and all this year has to bring. So how do we go about planning a garden? Let’s jump into it!

Growing Zones

The first thing to figure out is your growing zone. If you are unsure of your growing zone, you can simply enter your zip code on this website (https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov). For example, I am located in zone 6b. Growing zones are important because they estimate your last average frost date for the year (and by extension, when you can plant your garden).

Garden Location

Now that we know our growing zone, we can start dreaming up what our garden will look like this year. The location of our garden should be wherever we get the most sunlight (6+ hours) throughout the day. Ideally, this would be a south-facing location. A lot of plants we garden with in the Midwest require an ample amount of sunlight to thrive. 

Garden Size

Once we have picked a location, we can start thinking about the size of our garden. This is the fun part because it’s where we get to see our garden start to take shape! Using a pen and paper, we can start to sketch out what we want our garden to look like. No matter what size you have to work with, growing some type of garden is possible, so don’t let small spaces deter you!

Garden Shape

If it is your first time making a garden, don’t be intimidated by this step. The beautiful thing about gardening is that it is ever-changing. As we begin to garden and gain knowledge and confidence, we can make small changes every year to better fit our (and our plants’) needs. In my 7+ years of gardening, my garden has already taken on three different forms! Sometimes, a small garden can be great to start with and can be expanded on in the future as you gain confidence in your abilities. 

I hope that this post has sparked some joy and spurred you forward in your garden planning for this upcoming season! As we move forward in our Gardening 101 series, we will continue to expand on the planning process and move on to exciting things (like choosing plants/seeds). Please feel free to leave any questions below!